1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an aerosol container having a discharge nozzle member disposed on a distal end of a container body with a content stored therein and for discharging the content onto the sole of a foot by stepping on the discharge nozzle member.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a chemical, such as an insecticide, a refrigerant or the like, is applied to the sole of a foot or between adjacent toes using an aerosol container, the user usually holds the aerosol container with the hand and applies the content directly to the sole, etc. or collects a proper quantity of the content by a hand and then applies it to the sole, etc., while maintaining the attitude of bending the knee or sitting in a chair or sitting on the floor.
Also, the conventional aerosol container generates an offensive sound to the ear when the content liquid is applied, and produces high injection sound by which the use is easy to be recognized.
Moreover, the aerosol container has a stem disposed at a distal end portion of the container body which stores therein an application liquid (content liquid) air-tight. The application liquid is discharged from the nozzle member by depressing the nozzle member mounted on this stem against a resilient force. In order to prevent the application liquid from being accidentally discharged by inadvertently depressing the nozzle portion when the aerosol container is not in use, a device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication (Kokai) No. Sho 55-82428, in which the nozzle member is turned to be locked so that the nozzle member cannot be depressed when not in use. According to this locking mechanism, when the aerosol container is in use, the application liquid can be discharged by turning the nozzle member towards a releasing side and then depressing the same. However, the nozzle member is not automatically resorted to its locked position even if depression against the nozzle member is released. Instead, it is necessary to return the nozzle member to its locked position by turning the nozzle member with a hand or the like. Since the user is likely to forget to perform such a locking operation, there is a possibility that the application liquid is inadvertently discharged by incorrect handling of the device.
A nozzle member of an aerosol container described in a Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-140094 filed by the present applicant is designed such that a nozzle lower part is engaged in an engagement recess of a lower surface of a nozzle upper part to form a perforated discharge nozzle member in which the nozzle upper part and the nozzle lower part are formed into a unitary member. In order to maintain the air-tightness of a liquid passage interposed between the nozzle upper part and the nozzle lower part, it is desirable that they are engaged together in a hermetically closed condition through an O-ring. However, according to such a seal construction as in the abovementioned nozzle member, in which a lower nozzle part is fixedly attached to a nozzle upper part by bringing the lower nozzle part into engagement with the engagement recess of a nozzle upper part through an O-ring, play tends to occur in the attaching direction after engagement. As a consequence, a sufficiently large compressive force cannot be incurred to the O-ring. Thus, there is a fear that sealability is spoiled.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an aerosol container and a method of using the same, capable of easily applying a content such as a chemical to the sole or between the adjacent toes of the foot without a need of the abovementioned troublesome operation.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide an aerosol container, in which an injection sound generated when the content liquid is applied can easily be reduced to the extent that it is hardly offensive to the ear and that the use cannot be recognized.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol container capable of easily preventing accidental discharge by automatically restoring a nozzle member into a locked position when the depression against the nozzle member is released.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol container including a discharge nozzle member in which a nozzle upper member and a nozzle lower member are formed into a unitary member and a reliable sealability is retained.
The present invention has achieved the above objects by providing an aerosol container having a discharge nozzle member disposed on a distal end of a container body with a content stored therein and for discharging the content onto a sole of a foot by stepping on the discharge nozzle member, wherein projections are provided at a location surrounding nozzle ports formed in the discharge nozzle member and an interval between the sole side of a foot and the nozzle ports is retained by the projections when the discharge nozzle member is stepped on.
It is preferred that the discharge nozzle member is a perforated discharge nozzle member provided with a plurality of nozzle ports, and that the projections surround the plurality of nozzle ports.
The present invention has achieved the above objects by providing an aerosol container, wherein the discharge nozzle member is provided with sound-reduction means.
It is preferred that the sound-reduction means is structured by an annular wall arranged as the projections surrounding the nozzle ports, and an upper end of the annular wall is defined as an opening having a size dimension capable of covering the sole of a foot.
Also, the present invention has achieved the above objects by providing an aerosol container, wherein a skirt member is mounted on a peripheral surface of the container body in such a manner as to surround a stem of the container body to which the discharge nozzle member is attached such that, when the discharge nozzle member is rotated with respect to the skirt member, the perforated discharge nozzle member is brought into a depressible position and when the depression is released, the perforated discharge nozzle member is brought into an undepressible position.
Also, the present invention has achieved the above objects by providing an aerosol container, wherein the discharge nozzle member comprises a nozzle lower part fixedly engaged in an engagement recess, which is formed in a lower surface of a nozzle upper part, in a hermetically closed condition through an O-ring, and wherein a seal construction for hermetically closing the nozzle upper part and the nozzle lower part comprises a recess annular inclination surface formed by an outwardly or inwardly tapered abutment surface of the O-ring disposed in the engagement recess and a lower part annular inclination surface formed by an inwardly or outwardly tapered abutment surface of the O-ring and disposed in opposite relation to the recess annular inclination surface, the O-ring being inserted and sandwiched between the recess annular inclination surface and the lower part annular inclination surface in its compressed condition.
Also, the present invention has achieved the above objects by providing a method of using an aerosol container comprising the step of stepping on a discharge nozzle member disposed at a distal end of an aerosol container with a content stored therein, to thereby discharge the content onto a sole of a foot so that the foot can be treated with the content.
According to the aerosol container and the method of using an aerosol container of the present invention, the content is directly discharged to the sole of a foot by the depressing force caused by the stepping operation. Accordingly, the content such as a chemical or the like can easily be applied to the sole of a foot or between the adjacent toes without a need of maintaining the attitude of bending the knee or sitting.
If the discharge nozzle member of the aerosol container of the present invention is provided with the sound-reduction means, an injection sound generated when the content liquid is applied can easily be reduced to the extent that it is hardly offensive to the ear and that the use cannot be recognized.
Also, if a skirt member is mounted on a peripheral surface of the container body in such a manner as to surround a stem of the container body to which the discharge nozzle member is attached such that, when the discharge nozzle member is rotated with respect to the skirt member, the discharge nozzle member is brought into a depressible position and when the depression is released, the discharge nozzle member is brought into an undepressible position, accidental discharge can easily be prevented by automatically restoring a nozzle member into a locked position when the depression against the nozzle member is released.
Also, if the discharge nozzle member comprises a nozzle lower part fixedly engaged in an engagement recess, which is formed in. a lower surface of a nozzle upper part, in a hermetically closed condition through an O-ring, and wherein a seal construction for hermetically closing the nozzle upper part and the nozzle lower part comprises a recess annular inclination surface formed by an outwardly or inwardly tapered abutment surface of the O-ring disposed in the engagement recess and a lower part annular inclination surface formed by an inwardly or outwardly tapered abutment surface of the O-ring and disposed in opposite relation to the recess annular inclination surface, the O-ring being inserted and sandwiched between the recess annular inclination surface and the lower part annular inclination surface in its compressed condition, the aerosol container of the present invention can be provided with a discharge nozzle member in which a nozzle upper member and a nozzle lower member are formed into a unitary member and a reliable sealability is retained.